Page 92 of Innocent Bratva Twins

She hands me a few tissues and reaches out to squeeze my arm. “It’s big news.” She smiles, comforting me. “Let it all out.”

While I dab at my eyes, she wipes the gel from my belly.

I sit up on the edge of her bed and pull myself together.

“Were those happy tears?” She asks, resting her hands in her lap as she looks at me.

“Yes. And—a lot of emotions. It’s just a lot—I wish—“ I stammer. “I wish Nico had been here to see it, too.” I blurt out as I start crying again.

“Oh, honey, let me print you a picture of the little nuggets so that you can take it with you and show him. I’m sure he’s going to be thrilled.”

I nod, wiping my face again, taking another deep breath.

“Alright, before you go, we need to discuss your health. With twins, your body is going to be doing twice the work. Twice the nutrients. You’ll get tired, grumpy, emotional, hungry—these are all perfectly normal things. I have a wellness package prepared for you—it has all the multivitamins and things you need for the first trimester. We’ll keep adding and adjusting your health routine as we move through this together. I’m a phone call away for any questions. If you can’t get hold of me, my assistant, Penelope, is amazing.”

She chats on and I’m listening as best I can, but my heart, mind and soul are lost in thoughts of Nico.

He would have been so happy to be here. To see that screen, to experience this with me.

Knowing that makes me realize how much he cares. That he does love me and that everything he did—even the stupid things—was all out of love for me.

He was overprotective and controlling. But when he realized what he was doing, he stopped and apologized. He changed—he has given me all the space and freedom I wanted. He respected me in every way.

But now all I want is him.

I can raise these twins alone. Of course, I can. It’s doable. But the idea of never being with Nico again—that terrifies me.

In this moment, in this emotionally overloaded, charged moment, he is the only person in the entire world that I want.

Ican’tlive my life without him.

Why should I when he wants to be with me, and he has been so incredibly patient in waiting for me?

The doctor goes through the final bits and pieces of information, and I thank her when she hands me a pink and blue packet filled with my vitamins and a booklet and some pampering things.

The moment it’s over, I rush out of her office, into the waiting room, already pulling my phone from my pocket because I’m desperately excited to call Nico.

I want to tell him about the twins, and I want to tell him about my heart and what I realized.

I want to be with him.

Smiling, I flick through my phone, pushing the door open with my hip and walking out into the parking lot.

I’m about to press the dial button when I notice something strange.

The SUV is parked in the same spot.

But the driver’s door is open and there is a thick puddle of what looks like blood beneath it. Bright red, dripping from the door frame onto the tar.

Without thinking, I run to the car and yank the door all the way open.

My guard’s lifeless body tumbles out of the seat and I scream as I leap aside, dodging it and hearing a dull thud as it smacks into the floor. There is a long, wide gouge on his throat. Blood is bubbling from it in a slow river.

I scream again, panic engulfing every cell in my body as I stagger backwards, tripping, expecting to fall hard onto the tarred parking lot—but instead I fall into someone’s arms and immediately a gloved hand wraps around my mouth, cutting off the next scream that wanted to spill from my lips.

They drag me, kicking, fighting, and punching, backwards towards a van that’s pulled up behind us. The person lifts me easily off the ground and into the van. It’s dark inside, and more hands grab at me, tugging me away from the door—the door slams closed, and darkness blinds me.

“Go, drive dammit. Get out of here.” Someone shouts.

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